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allegory vs. parable

allegory

[ al-uh-gawr-ee, -gohr-ee ]
noun,
  1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.
  2. a symbolical narrative: the allegory of Piers Plowman.
  3. emblem (def. 3).

parable

[ par-uh-buhl ]
noun
  1. a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
  2. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.